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Geography Of British Indian Ocean Territory




Location:
: Archipelago in the Indian Ocean , south of India , about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

Geographic Coordinates :
:

Area:
:total: 60 sq km
:note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
:water: 0 sq km
:land: 60 sq km

Area - comparative:
:about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline:
:698 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982:
:territorial sea: 3 NM
:exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

Climate:
:tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
:flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:
:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
:highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources:
:coconuts, Fish , Sugarcane

Land use:
:arable land: NEGL
:permanent crops: 0%
:other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
:0 sq km (1998 est.)

Geography - note:
:archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia , largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean ; island is site of joint US-UK military facility


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